Bewerbungen » www.astrosfanproshop.com

BRADENTON Yuli Gurriel Jersey , Fla. (AP) — Erik Gonzalez and Kevin Newman are competing to start at shortstop for Pittsburgh, the one open position in the Pirates’ everyday lineup.The job opened when Jordy Mercer left after seven seasons and signed with the Detroit Tigers.Gonzalez was acquired from Cleveland on Nov. 14. Newman made his major league debut with the Pirates last August and retains his rookie status.Gonzalez spent the last three years as a utility infielder, stuck behind such stalwarts as shortstop Francisco Lindor, third baseman Jose Ramirez and second baseman Jason Kipnis.“I was starting to lose my passion for baseball,” Gonzalez said. “I was talking to my agent to try to move to another team. I just want the chance to play.”He will have a chance to prove himself during the exhibition season, which begins Saturday. The Pirates feel they may have unearthed a potential impact player in Gonzalez.“We’ve had people that’ve seen this man play defense and said, ‘This guy can be dynamic,'” manager Clint Hurdle said. “‘OK’ wasn’t a word that came out of anybody’s mouth. ‘Above average. Dynamic. Very good. More range than anybody you’ve had at short.'”Whether Gonzalez will hit enough to be a regular is the question. In 162 career games, he has a .263 batting average and five home runs.“It’s hard when you only play once a week to keep your timing,” he said. “I did the best I could to stay ready. I worked hard every day before games.“I do think I learned a lot about hitting from my teammates. I talked to Lindor a lot, talked to Ramirez, talked to (Edwin) Encarnacion. They are all great hitters, and they helped me.”Newman struggled in his initial trip to the big leagues Jake Marisnick Jersey , hitting .209 in 31 games. However, he was the Pirates’ first-round draft pick in 2015 and was once considered among the top 100 prospects in baseball.The Pirates feel Newman is a better player that what he showed last year. General manager Neal Huntington pointed out that Newman lost 10 pounds during the season and was not at his best physically once he reached the major leagues.Newman, though, has come back stronger this spring. He was one of the few Pirates with a chance to make the opening-day roster to attend the team’s minicamp in January, and he also showed up to spring training more a week before the full squad was scheduled to report.“Getting an opportunity is all you could ever ask for,” Newman said. “I’m really excited about it. Every day, I worked as hard as I could, got as toned as I could, got as prepared as I could to come in ready to fight for a spot.”NOTES: The Pirates held their first full-squad workout Monday. The full contingent of 61 players was on hand. … Right-hander Rookie Davis was signed to a minor league contract and given an invitation to major league camp. He made his big league debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 2017 but spent last season in the minors while rehabbing from hip surgery. … Former Pirates players who are guest instructors in camp include Steve Blass, John Candelaria, Bill Mazeroski, Omar Moreno, Manny Sanguillen and Rennie Stennett. The Philadelphia Phillies are fading quickly in the National League East race and will try to avoid a sweep Wednesday night against a team they’re still ahead of in the standings.The Phillies host the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night in the finale of a three-game set. Jake Arrieta (9-9 Joe Jimenez Jersey , 3.37 ERA) will face Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez (7-11, 4.35) at Citizens Bank Park.The Phillies (70-62), following a ninth inning meltdown in Tuesday’s 5-4 loss, have fallen 4 1/2 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East. It ties their largest deficit in the division this season.Article continues below ...They are also 2 1/2 games out of the second wild card spot after the loss Tuesday. The Phillies are 6-13 in their last 19 games and, including the current series against Washington, have not won any of their last seven series.“It’s a super difficult loss to swallow. And we’ll be ready to come out and fight (Wednesday),” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler told reporters after Tuesday’s game. “… I don’t worry about this group at all. This group is so tenacious and so resilient, they’re going to get up (Wednesday) and we’re going to be ready to take on Gio Gonzalez. We’re already looking forward to that.”Arrieta, one of the most-seasoned Phillies’ players and a 2016 World Series champion with the Chicago Cubs, is trying to stop a personal losing streak. Philadelphia has lost all four of Arrieta’s starts in August, though the veteran right-hander has a 3.60 ERA this month and opponents are hitting .226 against him in that span.Arrieta gave up four runs on six hits, including two homers, and three walks across six innings against the Toronto Blue Jays in his last start. It was Arrieta’s third straight outing in which he took a loss.Arrieta is 1-2 with a 4.89 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in 11 career starts against Washington.Gonzalez http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-joe-jimenez-jersey , a fellow 32-year-old, also has picked up three losses in his last three starts.Gonzalez has struggled in August with a 6.84 ERA in five starts, but he was much sharper in his last outing. Gonzalez allowed one run on seven hits and went seven innings against the New York Mets on Friday. Washington, however, was shut out 3-0.“It was just one of those games,” Gonzalez told reporters after the game. “I’m happy to turn things around, but I wish I could have been better.”Gonzalez will be making his 26th career start against the Phillies on Wednesday. He is 11-7 with a 2.69 ERA versus Philadelphia.The Nationals (67-66), who are eight games behind Atlanta, are 8-7 against the Phillies this season after taking the first two games of this series.Ryan Zimmerman has been a big part of a few of those wins, including a 3-for-4 performance with three doubles Tuesday night. Zimmerman is hitting .474 with six extra-base hits in five games against the Phillies this season.Zimmerman, though, is 5-for-21 with 10 strikeouts versus Arrieta.